118 YOUNG ISLAND— BIRD ISLES. 



Twenty-nine years before it was an embryo islet 

 with two small trees upon it. And as the subject of 

 the rate of increase of a coral reef^ and of the for- 

 mation of an island upon it, is a subject of interest 

 and of great practical importance^ I give below in 

 a note* two records of the former appearance of 

 Young' Island. 



Sept, 29tJi. — Passing- inside of Hag-g^erstone 

 Island^ we rounded Sir Everard Home's group and 

 anchored under Sunday Island^ where the Bramble 

 joined us after a month's absence. This is a small_, 

 hig'h^ rocky island^ of flesh-coloured compact felspar. 

 On one side is a large patch of brush with some 

 mangroves and a coral reef. 



A few da3's afterwards we ran down to the Bird 

 Isles^ and anchored. They are three low^ Avooded 

 islets^ one detached from the other two^ which are 

 situated on the margin of a circular reef. On the 

 north-west island we saw a small party of natives 

 from the mainland_, consisting of two men and a 



# * * f< Passed at about three-quarters of a mile to the north- 

 ward of a small rocky shoal, on which were two small trees. 

 This particular is recorded as it may be interesting at some future 

 time, to watch the progress of this islet, which is now in an infant 

 state ; it was named on the occasion Young Island." — Narra- 

 tive of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of 

 Australia, performed between the years 1818 and 1822, by 

 Captain P. P. King, R.N., vol. i. p. 226. Its appearance in 

 1839 is described as '* an elevated reef, with one small mangrove 

 growing on the highest part." — Stokes' Voyage of the Beagle, 

 vol. i, p. 57. 



